Wagner's update below
This Week:
Worship today at 10 with Children's Church. (Pray for Mike as he brings the Word today. (Pastor Don and Karen are taking a sabbath rest few days))
Tues: 10 am Zoom Huddle; 6 PM Spiritual Gifts class
Wed: 10-12 Brea ministry; 6-7:30 Dinner Huddle (all welcome. Pray into this as we have been connecting to more neighbors and bread people. Thank God for His provision and answered prayers!)
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Good Morning Praising, Praying, Studying Worshipers! May God draw you close as you praise, pray and study His Word. May He speak to your hearts today and through Mike and as you abide in His presence! May we worship in Spirit and Truth and enter His courts with thanksgiving and prepared hearts. Amen!
This is a day of sabbath for Karen and me. It's a day to turn off the noise, dwell in God's loving presence, receive His shalom and a day to recharge, refresh and prepare for what He has in store for us. It's a day to enjoy too! God made the Sabbath for us and we are wise to choose to take some days of sabbath rest and worship and fun! I had an amazing time with the Lord this morning and want to share the devotionals I used and how God knitted them together to share with you. He is speaking love over you all the time. Be still and know; reload and go! Amen! That's our plan!
So what's He saying to you today and what will you do about it? Begin with some time in His presence, some worship, some receiving and reloading and follow Him into the week ahead refreshed and ready. Turn off the noise and focus on what really matters--Christ and allowing Him to love through you and enjoying all the blessings of this life God has given you. Shalom shalom! Perfect peace to you all! Rejoice, worship and enjoy this day! May God reload you as He will water our gardens today and fill our aquafers and may we sink our roots deep in Him! Amen!
Upper Room: New Strength
It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. - Psalm 18:32 (NIV)
It was a terrible night. Something had triggered the memory of hurts from long ago. I couldn’t fall asleep as I replayed these crushing experiences in my mind. Since I couldn’t sleep, I read
Matthew 26:36-46 which describes Jesus’ agonizing prayers in the garden of Gethsemane.
Strangely, I was comforted that Jesus’ closest friends — Peter, James, and John — couldn’t support him because they fell asleep. This prompted me to go back to bed, and thankfully I slept another few hours.
But when I woke up at 6 a.m., I could hardly stand. My wife and I had to leave soon for church since I was in the choir. I worried that in this wobbly state I wouldn’t be able to sing. Then I remembered a verse from a psalm I had read a few days before: “It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.” In the midst of troubles, God gave David strength. A sense of calm came over me and I felt a new vigor, trusting that what God had done for David, God would do for me.
Today's Prayer
Merciful God, when we feel completely drained, thank you for giving us strength. Amen.
I to We Devotional
Our Daily Bread
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Running coach Jeff Galloway, a former Olympian, teaches a marathon training protocol that has a counterintuitive component to it. New and experienced marathoners are often surprised to learn that he advocates a “run/walk” strategy: alternating running for a set number of minutes with short periods of walking. The premise behind his approach is that the brief interludes of walking enable the body to recuperate briefly, equipping runners to finish their races faster than if they had run all 26.2 miles straight through.
The importance of intervals of rest isn’t limited to running. Rest helps us sustain the lengthy effort life requires. It’s something God addresses throughout the Bible, starting in the book of Exodus. In the Old Testament, the rhythms of rest were modeled after God’s work at the time of creation: to labor for six days and then keep “the seventh day [as] a sabbath to the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:10) because God “made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day” (v. 11).
As believers in Jesus, there’s no definitive prescription for how often we’re to rest (Romans 14:5-6; Colossians 2:16-17). Rest—whenever and however we enjoy it—is meant to be restorative. Choosing to rest is also an expression of trust in God, who’s faithful to supply our needs; we needn’t (and can’t) run forever.
By Kirsten Holmberg
REFLECT & PRAY
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How and when do you rest? How has God supplied your needs when you’ve rested as an expression of faith?
Father, thank You for giving me opportunities to trust You through rest.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Mount Sinai was the site of at least two great encounters with God in the Old Testament. In today’s reading (Exodus 20), we see Moses and the children of Israel encountering God and His mighty power. They’d spend about a year there before resuming their journey from slavery in Egypt to the freedom of the promised land. The other great encounter was when Elijah fled Jezebel and ended up at Mount Horeb, which many scholars are convinced was the same place as Sinai. There, God renewed Elijah’s mission and encouraged him with His own presence and care (1 Kings 19:8-13). Interestingly, these two leaders (Moses and Elijah) would meet with Jesus on another mountain in the New Testament (Luke 9:28-36) at Christ’s transfiguration, a part of His preparation for His coming suffering. The timing of that preparation is significant because in Luke 9:51 “Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem” where those sufferings awaited Him.
Bill Crowder |
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Sarah Young
Wagner's update:
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| God is Moving - In the hearts of our dorm boys |
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“Do I just know about Jesus, or do I know Jesus?”
“How do I know if I really am a Christian?”
“What does it mean to follow Jesus?”
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These are just a few of the questions that the boys have asked this term. They are really seeking to understand what it truly means to know and follow Jesus. It is very exciting that the boys are initiating these conversations and asking these questions. We’re so thankful that one of them made the decision to ask Jesus into his heart! PRAY that God will continue His work in the hearts of each of our nine dorm boys and that we will be sensitive to what He is doing and the questions our boys are asking.
We were recently reminded in our dorm devotions that Jesus was just 12 years old when He stayed behind in Jerusalem after Passover. His parents returned to the city frantically searching for Him and found Him teaching in the temple. He was just 12 years old! The same age as many of our dorm boys.
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| God is Moving - In the hearts throughout Africa |
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Muslims throughout the world are observing Ramadan this month. Each day Muslims will fast from dawn to dusk, even being careful to not swallow their own spit. They are hoping that this will be a time that they can earn credit with God and come closer to him. They are spiritually searching and are more open to spiritual conversations. PRAY that Muslims throughout the world will meet Jesus during this time of searching. Here is a great prayer resource (30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World 2025) to pray for the Muslim world this month.
Africa is full of unrest right now. Unrest is really not a strong enough word --- in eastern Congo there is essentially a war going on that has displaced so many people, even the UN Peacekeepers. Rape, murder, and child slavery are a daily part of life in this region. Seventy Christians were gathered together in a church and beheaded. God’s intervention is so needed in the hearts and lives of people in central Africa today. PRAY!
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A little over two weeks until the end of this school term! Our boys are ready to *MOVE* home and spend significant time with their families. Next week, we will be leading a group of juniors and seniors on an African Field Studies trip to South Africa. The students have been learning about the history of South Africa and the many challenges that are facing South Africa today. We will have some great opportunities to meet with people who are ministering in the Cape Town area. Our student group is very diverse, and we believe this will be an eye-opening experience for them. PRAY for safe travels, good health, and that the hearts of each student will be open to what God wants to teach them during this trip.
After the term ends, we’re excited for the opportunity to make a quick trip stateside to visit our grandson (and his parents), spend a few days with Micah and Lynnsi, and attend the wedding of one of our RVA sons. PRAY for safe travels, good health, and a wonderful time reconnecting with family & friends. |
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Finally, looking ahead to next year, there are still some needs to be filled at RVA. The one that hits closest to home is a math teacher for 1st term (September to November) to fill in for a teacher on home assignment. Spanish, French, Art, Wood Tech, Computer Science, Band and elementary school teachers are also needed. We have a need for dorm parents: high school boys, high school girls and junior high boys. Finally, we are seeking a child safety officer, a therapist/school-based counselor, registered nurses and a pediatric doctor. Perhaps YOU could fill one of these roles, serving families throughout Africa. Please PRAY that God would move in the hearts of people who have a strong desire to be part of the ministry of Rift Valley Academy and are able to serve in one of these important roles.
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We appreciate your faithful prayers,
Brian & Missy |
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